Day 7: Linz, Mondsee, Salzburg

Three towns in one day! If I didn't take photos, I'd forget!

Our ship, the AmaSerena, arrived in Linz, Austria by morning. However, the "real" destination was Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart and the setting for "The Sound of Music"! Salzburg is not on the Danube, so we'd have to take a long bus ride.

It'll be a long day! Better get our naps in now!

The ship had a tour guide not just for in the towns, but also for the rides along the way. This was a great idea. Our tour guide kept us informed and entertained all the way, even though the ride was a couple hours each way. He was very funny, too. Can you tell just be looking at his expression?

Before Salzburg, we stopped in the lakeside town of Mondsee. Ah...

In front of Basilika St. Michael. Why?

This is the inside. Does it look familiar?

How about now? It's the wedding from "The Sound of Music"!

I think this is called, "Baby's Breath" (Gypsophila).

Mom looking around the church.

The church's altar.

They have holy water! Good for "Sound of Music" wedding fans, and fighting vampires.

Mondsee's a beautiful town. This road goes right to the water.

Auntie Nancy hand-delivered this ice cream cone to Mom. We all scream for ice cream!

So green. Pretty homes, too.

I don't know if you can tell, but we were rushing to the lake. We had only an hour to explore the entire town. We didn't want the wheelchair to hold up the entire bus.

We didn't have time to paddle-boat, but at least we made it to the water!

From Mondsee, we got back on the bus and continued to Salzburg.

The Austrian countryside was SOOO GREEN! I feel like I'm looking at Windows XP. 

Windows XP's "Bliss" background.

In Salzburg, we divided into groups depending on level of activity. Mom was the only one in the "Gentle Walkers" group, so we had our own guide for the three of us! (Mary was on another tour.)

Our guide was very accommodating. I felt bad that we didn't have a larger group, for more tips.  

As Mozart was born in Salzburg, his image was everywhere. More importantly: Do you see the word "geoffnet" in the window? Geoffnet?!

We visited a church with four organs! Four organists can play a quartet together!

The organs are at the corners of the space ahead. (The raised platforms with the low fences.)

The four organs, from a side angle.

Mom and Auntie Nancy are really paying attention!

This is the outside of a building from "The Sound of Music." It was the concert at the end of the film. You can see the "caves" in the photo. It cost money to see the inside, and we were told it might not be worth it.

The outside of the building. Can't you imagine little grottos inside?

Mozart's birthplace. It's in the middle of a busy shopping street. All we did was see the outside for a minute. But we were there!

Mozart's birthplace. The sign from the previous photo can be seen to the right of the entryway. (We did not pull the strings, which I presume are doorbells.)

If Mom and Auntie Nancy ever release an album, they could use this as the cover. We'll call it, "Flowers."

This is "Kiosk Tomaselli," actually an outdoor cafe right in the heart of tourist Salzburg. You can click on the photo to zoom in. If you do, look at the top of the sign on the gate. It says, "Geoffnet" again! Is this a WiFi hotspot from a guy also named Geoff?! But it's such a permanent-looking sign…

Another strange sign. See the red sign that says, "Home of the Whopper"? What does that make you think of? Burger King!

But the sign is for something called, "Kim 168." And if you zoom in on the photo, you'll see the menu appears all Asian.

I really have no idea. =)

Mom relaxing at Kiosk Tomaselli. (Geoffnet!)

Gardens in Salzburg. In "The Sound of Music," the gardens were used for part of "Do Re Mi." (They run around this fountain.)

We should do our best Sound of Music impression.

Another view of the gardens. The fountain is in the back.

It was time to board the bus and return to Linz. So green!

Our guide kept us entertained all the way home. In the background, you can see our bus and our ship.

Isn't this a nice view?

Dinner time! Actually, this night was our turn at "The Chef's Table," so it was extra fancy. Honestly, I probably lack the experience and taste buds to appreciate this.

Yep. Over my head. I see part of a carrot, some greens, and foam. It's my loss, as I know the chefs worked really hard. On the other hand, nothing tasted bad to me!

This is Hazel, holding up her lovely dessert plate. Hazel is from the UK. We got along well.

The evening's entertainment. In the U.S., we rarely see a guitar-violin combo. They were really quite good. I'm sorry I don't have a video to link.

Whew! A fun and full day. But we left Salzburg without solving the mystery of "The Whopper" or "Geoffnet." I'd learn the answer to the latter in Vienna.

But first: What would happen if I was away from the ship too long on a rented bike, and they left without me? Could I catch up to them by biking along the Danube?

Next time: Day 8: Biking from Melk to Krems!